Mechanical golf swing instructor



Nov. 19, 1957 z 2,813,721

MECHANICAL GOLF SWING INSTRUCTOR Filed June 23, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR ATTORNEYS NOV. 19, 1957 ZEGA MECHANICAL GOLF SWING INSTRUCTOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 23, 1954 IN VENTOR BY 7 k ATTOPNE.'S

Nov. 19, 1957 F. ZEGA 2,813,721

MECHANICAL GOLF SWING INSTRUCTOR Filed June 23, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENT OR Frank Z qyd .M l av ATTORNEY$ Unite States Patent MEtIHANICAL GOLF SWING INSTRUCTOR Frank Zega, Bridgeport, Conn.

Application (lune 23, 1954, Serial No. 438,693

10 Claims. (Cl. 273-191) This invention relates to mechanical golf swing instruction devices of the type adapted to guide a golf club being swung by a golfer, for the purpose of perfecting or correcting the swing.

The invention relates to improvements in the mechanical golf instruction devices described and. claimed in my Patent No. 2,653,025 dated September 22, 1953, and my copending application Serial No. 415,403 filed March 10, 1594 now Patent No. 2,756,056.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved mechanical golf instruction aid of the clubguiding type above referred to, which is of novel, simplified and inexpensive construction, and which accurately guides the golf club in a complete, prescribed, correct, curvilinear path or swing including both the backswing and the follow-through of the club.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a mechanical golf swing instructor, a simplified and improved guide means for the golf club which does not require attachments of any type whatsoever for the club or shank, and which accurately guides the club at all times.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved, mechanical golf instruction aid adapted to guide the golf club during a practice swing, wherein a large portion of the guide means is constituted of but a single, simple curvilinear rail.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of an improved golf club guide means having upper rail portions which cross each other, which means is so arranged that only one terminal portion of the guide means need be hingedly mounted and swingable laterally to provide clearance for the golf club as it moves through the swing. A further object of the invention is to provide an improved golf-club guide means in a golf instruction device, which means is so arranged that it can yield a limited amount during the swinging of the club and yet not interfere with the proper guidance of the club and maintenance of the same in the predetermined, correct path.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of simplified and improved, conveniently operative adjustment means for the guide rails, whereby the device may be readily adjusted to suit different individuals.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, in a golf instruction device having guide rails arranged so that portions are swingable to provide clearance for the club, an improved and simplified pivotal joint between the swingable portions of the rails.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved mechanical golf swing instructor of the type having pivoted and swingable rail sections, wherein means are provided for absorbing the impact incident to the halting of the swingable track sections.

{ Other features and advantageswill hereinafter appear.

2,813,721 Patented Nov. 19, 1957 "ice Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1, showing an improved, automatically adjustable rail supporting bracket.

Fig. 4 is a top or plan view of the bracket shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 2, showing another improved rail supporting bracket.

Fig. 6 is a top or plan view of the bracket shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 1, showing a third type of supporting means used for the guide rails.

Fig. 8 is an end view of the bracket shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a top or plan view of the hinge and latch means for the swingable portions of the guide rails of the instruction device.

Fig. 10 is a side or edge view of the hinge and latch means and guide rails shown in Fig. 9.

The improved mechanical golf swing instructor of the present invention, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, comprises a novel club-guiding means designated generally by the numeral 20, said means being in the form of curved rails extending at an angle to the vertical and along a predetermined curvilinear path which defines substantially a closed loop and conforms to a prescribed golf club swing.

By the present invention, a first portion of the guide means 20 comprises spaced upper and lower rails 21 and 22 respectively, and the remainder of the guide means comprises but a single curved guide rail 23 attached to and constituting a continuation of the lower guide rail 22 of the pair. I have found that a club-guiding means which is so constituted functions very eifectively in properly guiding the golf club during the practice swing. During the initial portion of the swing, including the back swing, the pair of rails 21, 22 confines the golf club fairly closely, and prevents the club from departing appreciably from the correct path. As the golf club reaches the lower portion of its are, approximately half way through the forward swing, the second or upper rail 21 is discontinued and only the lower rail 22 and a single rail 23 constituting a continuation of the rail 22 is utilized, to guide the club. 'I have discovered that, during the latter portion of the swing of the golf club, there is a tendency on the part of the person swinging the club to direct the latter backward rather than forward. Therefore, the club will generally be maintained in contact with the single rail 23; without the aid of any additional guide means whatsoever.

By the present invention the upper portion of the single rail 23 which guides the club during the latter part of the swing is made substantially higher than the upper portions of "the pair of guide rails 21 and 22, and therefore during the backswing, prior to initiation of the for-' ward stroke of the club, the single rail 23 will not interfere with the club because of the shortened radius as elfected by the stance of the person using the club, the grip and positions of the arms, etc. However, on the follow-through of the swing the arc of movement of'the club has a larger radius, due to the stance, position of the hands and arms, etc., and accordingly the club will be' guided along the single rail 23 even though it is higher than the rails21 and 22, and will not shift off of the single rail or normally become disengaged therefrom.

Referring to Fig. 2, I dispose the pair of rails 21 and 22 in a curved path determined to be correct for the proper initial swing of the-golf club. From this figure it will be seen that the single guide rail 23 'followsin-general the path initially established by the pair of rails 21, 22 except at the top of the swing. At this point the single guide rail 23 crosses over the upper portions of the pair of rails 21 and 22 from the rear toward the front at an acute angle, and thereafter extends downward and is spaced appreciably forward of the said pair of rails. This, I have determined, is considered the most desirable path for the club to follow for a natural, accurately-controlled driving swing.

The guide means is carried on a support comprising a base 24 having front and rear members 25 and 26, side members 27 and angularly extended braces or struts 28. The base has a pair of main, upwardly-extending telescoping stanchions 29 which are extendable in length, one stanchion 29 being. secured to a corner 30 of the base 24 and the other being secured to a strut 2-8 slightly closer to the rear member 26 than to the front member 25. A short brace 31 is also provided between the stanchionsupporting brace 28 and the rear member 26. The right one of the stanchions 29, as viewed in Fig. 1, is braced by struts 32 and 33, and the left one of the stanchions 29 is braced by struts 34, 35 and 36. The stanchions 29 are connected together adjacent their upper portions by a cross bar 37, said bar being also braced by a strut 38.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the upper portions of the pair of guide rails 21 and 22 are supported by a loop 39 which is secured at its upper portion to a bar 40 carried by the upper extremity of the left one of the stanchions 29. One lower end 41 of the loop 39 is secured to the upper rail 21 of the pair of rails by a bracket or clamping fitting 42a, Figs. 1 and 2, which is similar to the fitting 42, Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6 which is secured to the upper portion of the single guide rail 23. The other lower end of the loop 39 is secured to a novel latch and hinge means 43 associated with the upper portion of the rail 22. A bracing strut 44, Fig. 1, also connects the latch and hinge means 43 with the brace 34 for the stanchion 29, there being a clamping fitting 45, Figs. 1, 7 and 8, which secures the strut 44 to the brace 34. The lower portion of the rail 21 is fastened by means of a fitting 46 to a curved support 47 which has a base portion 48 secured to the front base member 25 and to the left one of the base struts 28.

The lower portion of the single rail 23 is secured by means of clamping fittings 49 to supporting members 58 which are in turn anchored to the front base member 25.

The upper portion of the single guide rail 23 is secured by means of a fitting 51 to an angle support 52 which is carried on the upper extremity of the right one of the stanchions 29. A brace or strut 53 connects the angle support 52 with the cross bar 37, the brace 53 being secured to the cross bar by means of a bracket or fitting 54 which is like the fitting in Figs. 7 and 8.

As viewed in Fig. 1, the left upper portion of the single guide rail 23 is secured by means of a clamping fitting 5S to the lower foremost portion of the loop 39. A strut 56 connects the latch and hinge means 43 to the cross bar 37, there being a fitting or bracket 57 generally like the fitting 45, fastened to the strut 56 and cross bar 37.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the clamping fitting 46 comprises a rectangular body or block 58 having in it a slot 59 to accommodate a screw 60 carrying a wing nut 61 by which the block 58 may be adjustably secured to the curved support 47 for the rail 21. The block 58 has a tapered end 62 provided with a recess 63 having cylindrical walls and adapted to receive the rail 21.

In accordance with the present invention the fitting 46 is adapted to slidably carry the rail 21 and to permit longitudinal movement of the rail. Accordingly the recess 63 is made larger than the diameter of the rail 21 and preferably anti-friction rollers 64 are provided in the walls of the recess, for engagement with the rail. The block 58 has a slot 65 communicating with the recess 63, and has a draft screw 66 by which adjustment of the bearings provided by the rollers 64 may be had.

It will be understood that by this constructionthe lower portion of the rail 21 is free for limited longitudinal movement even though it is positioned by the support 47 and fitting 46.

A similar sliding mounting is provided, for supporting the left upper portion of the single rail 23 from the loop 39. This support is effected by the clamping fitting 55 as shown in Fig. l. The fitting 55 is of the same type as the fitting 46, supporting the rail 23 for longitudinal movement. The fitting 55, however, does not have the adjustable mounting slot 59 by which the fitting 46 is secured to the support 47. Instead, the fitting 55 is rigidly secured to the foremost lower portion of the loop 39 in any desired manner.

Figs. 5 and 6 show the fitting 42, Figs. 1 and 2, by which the upper portion of the rail 23 is secured to the support 52. The fitting 42 comprises a body 68 having a threaded bore by which it is secured to the support 52. The body 68 has a tongue portion 69 received in a slot 70 of a clamping body 71 securement of the two bodies to each other being effected by a screw 72 and wing nut 73. The body 71 has a recess in its end to receive the rail 23, and has a slot 74 and a draft screw 75 by means of which the opening defined by the recess may be reduced in size to cause the body to firmly clamp the rail.

The clamping fittings 49 by which the lower portion of the single rail 23 is secured to the base 24, see Fig. 1, are similar in most respects to the body portion 71 of the fitting 42. The fittings 49, however, are secured directly to the supports 50 instead of being secured to another body such as the body 68 of the fitting 42 of Figs. 5 and 6.

With the above structure by which the rails 21, 22 and 23are mounted on the base 24, adjustment of the positions of the rails may be readily effected by varying the heights of the stanchions 29, and the lengths of the struts 53, 56 and 44. During such adjustment, the fittings 46 and 55 by which the lower portion of the rail 21 and the upper left portion of the rail 23 are supported, see Fig. 1, will permit longitudinal movement of said rails to automatically take place. Thus the terminal portions of the rails 21 and 23 will adjust themselves automatically as adjustment is effected of the supports by which the remaining portions of the rails are shifted or moved.

Referring to Figs. 1, 9 and 10, the upper terminal portions of the rails 21 and 22 are hingedly connected to the remainders of the rails and are caused to automatically swing to an angularly and rearwardly-extended position in order that the golf club during the follow-through portion of the swing will have proper clearance. To accomplish this, the novel and improved hinge and latch means 43 is provided, Figs. 9 and 10, secured to the lower rail 22. This means comprises upper and lower plates 78 and 79 secured to opposite sides of clamping fittings 80-which are securely fastened to the rail 22. A hinge member 81 is carried by a pivot pin 82 between the plates 78 and 79, the member 81 being roughly of triangular shape and carrying the uppermost portion of the rail 22, said portion being severed from the remainder or lower portion by a cut 83. The upper terminal or end portion of the rail 22 is secured in a block 84 and also attached to a U-shaped connector fitting 85, said block and fitting also having attached to them the upper terminal or end portion of the rail 21. Adjacent the cut 83 in the rail 22, the rail 21 is provided with a pin-and-slot connection 86, such connection enabling the uppermost portions of the rails 21 and 22 to swing backward about the pivot pin 82, as shown by the broken outlines in Fig. 9.

Normally the rail sections are maintained in alignment, as indicated by the full line showing of Fig. 9, by a pivoted latch arm 87 mounted between the plates 78 and 79 carried on a pivot 88 secured to said plates. The latch arm 87 has an extremity 89 engageable with a projection 90 on the hinge member 81, and the arm 87 is normally urged to and held in the locking position shown by a leaf spring 91'. Automatic actuation of the locking arm 87 is effected by a trigger 92 carried by a pivot 93 secured to the lower plate 79, saidtrigger having a finger portion 94 engageable with a laterally-projecting portion 95 of the arm 87. The trigger 92 is normally held in a nonreleasing position as shown in Fig. 9 by a wire coil spring 96, and may be swung counterclockwise from the locking position shown by the golf club as it is brought back to initiate the forward swing. As the .golf club is again brought forward, it will strike the trigger 92 and swing it clockwise to the broken line position shown in Fig. 9, thereby tripping the locking arm 87 to the broken line position shown, and enabling the uppermost portions of the rails 21 and 22 to swing counterclockwise as indicated. Such movement of the rails is effected by an extension coil spring 97, Fig. l, secured to the rails and to the cross bar 37 of the framework.

After the uppermost sections of the rails 21 and 22 have been shifted backward, they may be restored to their normal positions aligned with the remainder of the rails, by hand, the restoring movement again permitting the locking arm 87 to lock the parts in their operative positions.

For the purpose of absorbing the impact or blow when the upper portions of the guide rails 21 and 22 automatically swing backward, I provide a thick pad 98, Figs. 1 and 2 of yieldable or spongy structure, disposed in the path of movement of the rail portions. This pad eifectively halts the rail portions without undue noise or disturbance.

Referring to Fig. 7, the fitting 45 comprises a long bolt 99 passing through the strut 34, said bolt having a sleeve 100 constituting a spacer, and the bolt passing through a split collar 101. The collar 101 has apertured lugs 102 receiving a bolt 103 which has a form of wing nut 104 by which the collar 101 may be tightened on to the end of the bolt 99. The bolt 103 passes through apertured lugs 105 of a split collar 106 through which the strut 44 passes. Tightening of the wing nut 104 will not only secure the collar 101 to the bolt 99 but will also secure the strut 44 in the collar 106 and to the bolt 99. When the nut 104 is loose, the strut 44 may be shifted with respect to the strut 34, and after the nut 104 is tightened, the said struts will be rigidly secured to each other.

To facilitate adjustment of the left one of the stanchions 29, as viewed in Fig. 2, a link 107 and handle 108 are provided, Fig. 2, the handle being pivoted on the strut 35 and acting as a lever to aid in raising the upper portion of the stanchion.

It will be understood that, by the present invention, I have provided a novel and simplified, extremely effective means for guiding a golf club during a practice swing, said means comprising in part a pair of spaced guide rails and in part a single guide rail, the latter guiding the club during the later portions of the swing and the pair of rails guiding the club during the first portions of the swing. The guide means are so disposed and shaped as to cause the golf club to follow a correct, prescribed curvilinear path, and may be readily adjusted with a minimum of difficulty to adapt the device for both tall and short persons.

The construction is simple and sturdy, yet inexpensive, and the hinge and latch means associated with the upper portions of the pair of rails is reliable and foolproof in its operation, and economical to manufacture. By virtue of the raised position of the upper portion of the single guide rail, there is obviated the necessity for hinging or otherwise movably positioning said rail to provide clearance for the golf club during the back swing, prior to initiation of the forward stroke.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A mechanical instruction aid for guiding a golf club during a practice swing, comprising a pair of closelyspaced, inner and outer curved rails extending alongside each other and arranged to loosely receive between them the lower shank portion of the golf club, said rails extending along only a predetermined curvilinear .path adapted to form the backswing portion of a prescribed golf-club swing; and a single, curved guide rail secured to an end of said inner rail and constituting a continuation of said rail, said single guide rail extending along a predetermined curvilinear path adapted to form the remainder of said prescribed golf-club swing.

2. A mechanical instruction aid for guiding a golf club during a practice swing, comprising a pair of closelyspaced, inner and outer curved rails extending alongside each other and arranged to loosely receive between them the lower shank portion of the golf club, said rails extending along only a predetermined curvilinear path adapted to form the backswing portion of a prescribed golf-club swing; a single curved guide rail secured to an end of said inner rail and constituting a continuation of said rail, said single guide rail extending along a predetermined curvilinear path adapted to form the remainder of said prescribed golf-club swing; and means hingedly connecting the juxtaposed upper end portions of said pair of rails to the remainders thereof to enable said end portions to be swung out of said curvilinear path and thereby provide clearance for the golf club on the follow-through of the latter.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which the upper portion of the single guide rail is disposed substantially higher than the upper portions of the pair of rails.

4. A mechanical instruction aid for guiding a golf club during a practice swing, comprising a pair of closelyspaced, curved rails extending alongside each other and arranged to loosely receive between them the lower shank portion of the golf club, said rails extending along only a predetermined curvilinear path adapted to form the backswing portion of a prescribed golf-club swing; a single, curved guide rail secured to an end of one of said pair of rails and constituting a continuation of said one rail, said single guide rail extending along a predetermined curvilinear path adapted to form the remainder of said prescribed golf-club swing, the upper end portions of said pair of rails and single rail crossing each other and the said path being generally in the shape of a closed loop; means hingedly connecting the juxtaposed upper end portions of said pair of rails which define the beginning of the swing to the remaining portions of the rails to enable said end portions to be swung out of said curvilinear path and thereby provide clearance for the golf club on the follow-through of the latter; latch means releasably holding said hinged upper end portions in said curvilinear path; spring-charged means for swinging said end portions out of said path about said hinged connection; and means engaged by the golf club when leaving said end portions, rendering inoperative said latch means whereby the end portions are automatically swung clear of the club on the follow-through of the latter.

5. The invention as defined in claim 3 in which the terminal end of the single guide rail is disposed lower than the upper terminal portions of the pair of rails.

6. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which the lower portions of the pair of rails are spaced apart further than the upper portions of said rails.

7. The invention as defined in claim 2 in which there is a cushion pad disposed in the path of movement of the hinged upper end portions of the rails, to halt the movement and absorb the impact of said portions.

8. The invention as defined in claim 1 in which there are supporting means for the unconnected terminal portions of the rails, enabling said rails to have limited longitudinal movement.

around the rails and having anti-friction rollers engaging said rails.

10. The invention as defined in claim 2 in which there is a pin-and-slot connection between one upper end portion of the pair of rails and the remainder of the rail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Bambrick Apr. 19, 1932 McDonald 'Jan. 30, 1934 MacStocker May 29, 1934 Zega Sept. 22, 1953 Zega July 24, 1956 

